I was on an US Airways Airbus A320 DEN - PHX yesterday and saw a yellow bracket in the top of the wing that has 2 eyes. I've seen this on other a/c before. What is it? I'm guessing some sort of place for maintenance people to harness onto when they're on the wing? Or some sort of lifting point for something?

Either way I would have thought it's use isn't very frequent any they'd be better off not having it on the wing permanently?

The CRJ also has this on top of each wing although since there's only one E-exit on each side, only one "eye" is needed. There is a rope attached to the fuselage behind a small panel immediately aft of the exit on each side.

This life line attach point always seemed a bit contrived to me. A certification requirementI I'm sure but highly impractical. Really, who's going to manage walking out onto a very slippery wing in a pitching and rolling swell to attach the line?

Wouldn't it be easier to attach life raft line to a seat belt and use this line to guide your way out to the raft?

Raft life line is designed to break before the sinking plane drags the raft down with it in case there is no time to disconnect.

Quoting babybus (Reply 14):
It's amazing how many 'pilots' and 'engineers' we have on this site and it takes a normal poster's reference to an in-flight safety card to reveal the mystery of the yellow rings on a wing.

Everyone is a genius....never underestimate anyone and always be willing to learn from anyone........

Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 12):I flew the AF 318 last month, and it was the first airline where I noticed they actually show the line on the safety card. I've flown my fare share of 32S but did not recall ever seeing it before.

It may be that the plane is certified for ETOPS, with rafts, unlike most A32S.

New Technology is the name we give to stuff that doesn't work yet. Douglas Adams

Quoting Aesma (Reply 16):Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 12):
I flew the AF 318 last month, and it was the first airline where I noticed they actually show the line on the safety card. I've flown my fare share of 32S but did not recall ever seeing it before.

It may be that the plane is certified for ETOPS, with rafts, unlike most A32S.